Guest Exchange by a Partial Energy Ratchet in Water

Molecular machines are ubiquitous in nature and function away from equilibrium by consuming fuels to produce appropriate work. Chemists have recently excelled at mimicking the fantastic job performed natural molecular with synthetic systems soluble organic solvents. In efforts toward analogous working water, we show that guest molecules can be exchanged macrocycle cucurbit[7]uril involving kinetic traps, such a way as modulating energy wells barriers using pH, light, redox stimuli. Ditolyl-viologen also best trap interfaced alginate, thus affording pH-responsive blue, fluorescent hydrogels. With tunable rate binding constants relevant guests, cucurbiturils may become excellent ring for construction of advanced water.